Mu Jiujiu composed herself before coming out of the dressing room.
She didn’t want Chu Yanxiu to see her upset.
Chu Yanxiu had only just woken up. His situation was already difficult enough—someone had even staged a car accident to take his life. So she needed to help him, not add to his burdens.
After Mu Jiujiu came out of the dressing room, she lay on the sofa staring blankly into space, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. She didn’t wake until Guo Xi came upstairs and knocked on the door.
Mu Jiujiu ordered three home-style dishes and a pork rib and seaweed soup from Guo Xi.
As Guo Xi headed downstairs, she muttered discontentedly under her breath: “She really thinks she’s some precious young miss, does she? Twist her ankle and she acts like she’s some goddess on a pedestal. Rib soup, pfft. If the Mu family actually treasured her, would they marry her off to a vegetable? Isn’t she just being sold off to seal a business deal!”
Because the soup needed time to simmer, by the time the meal was brought up, it was already pitch dark outside.
Guo Xi was outwardly polite and courteous.
But as she was leaving, she said, “Young Madam, next time you want soup made, you should let me know earlier. Otherwise, by the time it’s ready, we’ll have missed the proper mealtime.”
Mu Jiujiu smiled at Guo Xi with innocent sweetness: “It’s fine. Grandma always said, good food is worth the wait.”
Guo Xi: “…” I’m not worried about YOU being late—I’m worried about ME being late!
Even without looking at Guo Xi’s face, Chu Yanxiu could hear the meaning behind her words. Before, she had always called Mu Jiujiu “Young Madam” in a respectful tone, but this “Young Madam” carried a hint of veiled mockery.
Sure enough, when you fall from grace, even the ashes beneath your feet are treated worse than mud!
Mu Jiujiu was his person. He, the young master of the house, had been lying in bed as a vegetable for less than two months, and already even the servants wanted to step on him.
After Guo Xi left, Mu Jiujiu stood warily by the door.
For a while, she didn’t hear Guo Xi’s footsteps retreating. Just as she was frowning in confusion, she finally heard Guo Xi slowly begin to walk away.
Mu Jiujiu’s ears were sharper than most people’s. When she was nine, she was bitten by a snake, and for two full years she couldn’t recover her ability to speak—but that experience had heightened her hearing considerably.
Carrying Chu Yanxiu’s shoes, Mu Jiujiu ran to the bedside, propped her chin on the edge of the bed, and said mysteriously, “Husband, guess what Jiujiu discovered?”
Chu Yanxiu didn’t even glance at her. He simply got up, put on his shoes, and walked into the bathroom.
Mu Jiujiu trotted along to keep up with his long legs.
She didn’t make him guess anymore and volunteered the information: “I think Housekeeper Guo is suspicious too.”
Chu Yanxiu splashed water on his face, then looked up. Droplets of water cascaded down his face, each bead like a pearl, making his cold, resolute features look even more striking and handsome.
Mu Jiujiu couldn’t help but stare in a daze, forgetting even to hand him a towel.
Chu Yanxiu picked up the towel and wiped his face. He was just considering whether to grace her with a word of praise—after all, he’d noticed how she’d been looking at him with eager, expectant eyes these past days, waiting for his approval.
But the moment he met Mu Jiujiu’s face, her lovestruck expression nearly blinded him.
“Husband, you’re so handsome. If I could be your towel, I’d be so happy.”
With that, Mu Jiujiu extended her little finger and pointed at the towel in Chu Yanxiu’s hand.
Chu Yanxiu: “…”
“Your way of complimenting people is certainly… unique.”
Beyond that, he didn’t know what else to say to her.
Mu Jiujiu smiled sweetly and followed Chu Yanxiu’s long strides toward the sofa area: “Husband, Grandma used to always say that Jiujiu should marry Brother Da Niu next door. Back then, Jiujiu also thought Brother Da Niu was a nice person. But after meeting you, I realized that my husband could be this handsome—even more handsome than a celebrity.”
Chu Yanxiu’s mouth twitched: He’d always thought “Brother Da Niu” only existed in period dramas. He never imagined there was a real Brother Da Niu in real life too.
So if she hadn’t been sent to marry him for good luck, she would have married her Brother Da Niu instead?
For some reason, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable!
Chu Yanxiu sat down unceremoniously in the center of the sofa, while Mu Jiujiu habitually crouched on the carpet across from him.
Chu Yanxiu: “Get a chair!”
Mu Jiujiu blinked in a daze. “Hmm, Jiujiu was just staring at you in a daze, hehe.”
Chu Yanxiu: “…”
Her mouth was so sweet—had she flirted with a lot of men before?
Including that Brother Da Niu?
Chu Yanxiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Suddenly, he lost his appetite for the delicious-looking dishes in front of him.
Halfway through the meal, Mu Jiujiu’s phone rang.
She opened it and saw it was Yao Zhilan. Her expression visibly lit up with excitement. She shot up from her chair: “Husband, you eat. Jiujiu will take this call.”
Chu Yanxiu thought she was going to take her phone into the dressing room again, so he said, “Take it here.”
Mu Jiujiu nodded obediently, shrank back into her chair, and took a deep breath.
“Mother.”
Yao Zhilan’s warm, smiling voice came through: “Jiujiu, I didn’t even eat dinner after work. I rushed straight to the hospital to visit your grandmother.”
Mu Jiujiu’s nervously pursed lips instantly curved upward: “Really? Thank you, Mother. Can Jiujiu speak with Grandma on the phone?”
“Of course.” Yao Zhilan let out a light laugh. “But Jiujiu should know how to speak, right? Grandma’s condition has just stabilized through treatment.”
Mu Jiujiu immediately said, “Mm, Jiujiu knows.”
After the sound of the door opening and closing, Yao Zhilan greeted Liao Yun and handed her the phone.
“Grandma, are you okay? Jiujiu misses you so much.”
The moment she called out “Grandma,” Mu Jiujiu’s nose suddenly stung, and her voice came out hoarse at the end.
“Grandma misses her good granddaughter too. Grandma’s health is fine. Your father and the others found a good doctor for me. Jiujiu, don’t worry about Grandma, just study hard in school, be good~”
From her voice alone, it was clear that Liao Yun missed Mu Jiujiu just as much—otherwise, she wouldn’t have launched into such a long speech the moment the call connected. After finishing, the gravely ill woman covered her mouth and began gasping for breath.
“Grandma, Jiujiu will be good… and go to school, it’s just… the school is far away, so I can’t visit you recently. Jiujiu misses you so much.”
The moment she was with her grandma, Mu Jiujiu became like a child again, her voice soft and gentle, carrying a faint nasal tone, with a hint of playful coquetry.
Chu Yanxiu raised his head, his lowered gaze slowly traveling up along Mu Jiujiu’s left hand clenched into a fist on her knee, passing over her slightly parted little lips, and finally settling on her half-lowered eyes filled with longing.
“Jiujiu not being able to attend university has always been the biggest regret in Grandma’s heart. Now that you have the chance, Jiujiu must study hard. Only after getting your diploma can you avoid hardship at work.” After a few wheezing breaths, the aged voice carried a note of concern: “But Jiujiu, don’t push yourself too hard either. Take good care of yourself.”
“Mm, Grandma, don’t worry. Jiujiu is doing well, I have…” Mu Jiujiu stole a glance at Chu Yanxiu, then looked away, covering the receiver as she whispered, “I have school to attend, and pretty dresses and little cakes.”
Chu Yanxiu subtly raised an eyebrow: So she likes pretty dresses and little cakes.
A few weak chuckles came from the other end: “Jiujiu, don’t worry about Grandma. Grandma is doing well too. Once Grandma’s illness is cured, Grandma will come to school to see you.”
Although Mu Jiujiu hadn’t put the call on speaker, given the close distance and the quiet room, Chu Yanxiu could clearly hear the elderly, kind voice on the other end of the line.
It seemed that Mu Jiujiu and her grandma shared an extremely deep bond.
About three more minutes passed before Yao Zhilan said the doctor was making rounds and walked out of the ward with the phone.
Yao Zhilan: “Jiujiu, don’t worry. Your father and I are taking very good care of Grandma~”
Mu Jiujiu: “Thank you, Mother.”
Yao Zhilan quickly revealed her true intentions: “Jiujiu, Mom actually has something she’d like to ask for your help with.”
Mu Jiujiu’s heart skipped a beat, and she inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding.